The invention relates to a tape end warning apparatus for indicating the end of a running tape in a tape recorder.
A variety of devices are heretofore available which indicate to the operator of a tape recorder that a terminal end of a running magnetic tape is reached during a record or playback operation. By way of illustration, an electrically conductive foil may be applied to the terminal end of the tape so as to be detected for activating an alarm buzzer; or the mechanical tension in the tape may be utilized to detect that the terminal end of the tape is reached, thereby operating a mechanical stop assembly to interrupt the operation of a tape drive motor in an automatic manner. However, these prior arrangements add to the complexity of the tape recorder into which they are incorporated, and additionally requires a relatively large space for their provision. Thus, their provision stands in the way to the miniaturization of the tape recorder. Since a miniature size tape recorder which employs a micro-cassette has a limited internal space which cannot afford to the provision of a mechanical stop mechanism and since the tape cassette is of a size which prohibits further apparatus from being applied to a magnetic tape disposed therein, the known arrangements are completely unusable with such a miniature size tape recorder. Nevertheless, it is desirable that some means be provided to indicate to the operator that a terminal end of a running tape contained in a micro-cassette is reached. The desirability will be appreciated if one considers a recording of some information with the tape recorder, where it will be noted that the operator may continue to run the recorder without noticing the fact that the tape end is reached and there is no longer any available length of tape on which to record the information, thus resulting in a serious failure to record the information. However, there has been no available arrangement end being reached in a tape recorder which cannot afford to the provision of any additional mechanism in the interior thereof.